The Sower 

Jean-François Millet made this drawing, The Sower, using graphite on blue paper. It depicts a lone figure in the act of sowing seeds. Made in France, this image speaks to the cultural and institutional contexts of the 19th century. Millet was part of the Realist movement, which sought to depict the lives of ordinary people, particularly rural laborers, with honesty and without idealization. This focus was a reaction against the academic art of the time, which often favored historical or mythological subjects. The figure of the sower, though seemingly simple, carries a weighty symbolism. In a society undergoing rapid industrialization, Millet's image elevates the role of the agricultural worker. To fully understand this drawing, scholars might research agricultural practices of 19th-century France, exhibition records, and critical responses to Millet's work to better understand the social and institutional dynamics that shaped its production and reception. Art is never created in a vacuum, and its meaning is always contingent on its historical moment.